Florida's jobless rate rises -- again

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Florida's unemployment rate crept to 11.2 percent in October, remaining essentially unchanged from September's revised rate of 11.1 percent but offering more evidence that the state's labor market will remain weak for the foreseeable future.

The October rate is up 4.3 percentage points from the same time last year and 1 point higher than the national average. It represents just more than 1 million unemployed Floridians out of a labor force of about 9.2 million.

The last time Florida hit 11.2 percent was in June 1975.

The good news, such as it is, is that layoffs have begun to stabilize during the past few months. That reflects some improvement in the state's economy but not nearly enough to start bringing the jobless rate down.

"A year ago we were concerned about are we going into the second Great Depression," Rebecca Rust, chief economist for the Agency for Workforce Innovation, said Friday. At this point, she said, "we have a mix of economic data," some improving, some declining.

Metro Orlando's unemployment rate came in at 11.4 percent, down slightly from September's rate of 11.6 percent. At the county level, Osceola came in at 12.8 percent, Lake at 12.1 percent, Volusia, 11.7 percent, Brevard, 11.4 percent, Orange, 11.2 percent and Seminole at 10.5 percent.

Flagler County had the state's highest jobless rate at 16.1 percent, and tiny Liberty County in the Panhandle was lowest at 5.4 percent.

Florida, which for years was a leader in job growth, has been pummeled by the housing-market collapse and fallen harder than many states. Consequently, its road to recovery will take years, experts say.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-jobless-rate-florida-20091120,0,7788551.story

[JCMach1]

1. Florida has typically been a leader on this stat when coming out of recessions...

Usually, Florida would improve before the rest of the nation...

I won't give any credence to unemployment going down and a true recovery beginning until it happens in Florida.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. It's Unbelievably Bad

New construction and tourism are the pillars of the economy and they are in shambles.

[Ineeda]

7. And if the rethugs have their way

with drilling close to shore (or at all off the Gulf coast) we can kiss tourism and retirement relocation goodbye forever. :mad:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. Even The Republicants Are Relatively Sane On This Issue

~

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Why Does This Get A Unrecommend?

One of out every five Floridians is either unemployed, underemployed, or quit looking. And those are the official statistics. And since Florida is the "home" of the independent contractor it's probably one out of four Floridians without a job.

[marmar]

6. I'll rec to offset the unrec.....

The psychology (or psychosis) of unrec'ing is very fascinating.

[RagAss]

4. I doubt these stats are true....

I know hundreds of folks up in Duval County in various skilled employment sectors and 50% are out of work !

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Because There Are So Many Small Businesses And Sub-Contractors

If you are self employed and have little or no work you don't show up on the unemployment rolls.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

9. Florida..... needs to take some of that land dedicated to sugar

cane (which helps us all develop syndrome x and or diabetes) and turn it into fields of medicinal herbs and fruits such as, ginseng, hawthorne, goji berries, etc.... I would think the take would be better, and the impact on peoples' health would certainly be positive... "if" these plant based therapeutics were promoted for the results they can produce.